We get it – the potential of upsetting your guests or surprising them by not catering for their every need is one of the hardest topics to approach when planning a wedding.

Between your second cousin asking whether you would prefer sheets or towels for a wedding gift, and your colleague telling you how she has bought the most adorable tuxedo for her 2yr old to wear…

The biggest mistake that brides and grooms often make when caught up in the world of wedding planning is forgetting that your wedding day is all about you! Don’t break your back, or your bank, trying to please everyone else.

Adding a note to your invitations can alleviate awkward conversations in the lead up to your big day. We have addressed some of the more common issues couples find themselves up against below.

Wishing Well

Addressing gifts takes the cake when it comes to awkward requests. Let’s face it, there is no ideal way to ask for money, so keep it simple and polite. Most of your guests will probably be glad to avoid the stress of gift shopping. Consider approaching your wishing well request like this…

Make the gift of cash sound optional: Your presence at our wedding is the greatest gift of all however should you insist there will be a wishing well available for your messages, cards and contributions in lieu of gifts.

If you’d rather not beat around the bush simply state: A wishing well will be present should you wish to contribute.

If it’s still too awkward, perhaps don't mention money at all.

No kids

This can be a difficult topic for some, however keep in mind that most parents will appreciate the night off when the decision is taken out of their hands!

Invite kids to the ceremony only: We appreciate that some of our guests have children and invite you to bring them to our wedding ceremony but kindly request that no children attend the reception.

Blame it on the venue: Regrettably, children are unable to attend due to venue restrictions.

Sugarcoat it: To give all our guests the opportunity to let their hair down without having to worry about little eyes and ears, we politely request no children.

Or, keep it subtle and add the guests’ names to the invitation to save any confusion.

Cash Bar

Everyone knows that weddings are expensive and sometimes sacrifices needs to be made. However, if you aren’t going to be providing alcohol it’s only fair to let your guests know in advance so that they can plan to either bring their own booze or bring cash to be able to purchase it.

If you can afford to provide wine with dinner you could word it like this: Dinner, wine and dancing to follow. Cash bar available.

If you’re not offering any free drinks our advice is to keep it simple and to the point: BYO alcoholic drinks or Cash bar only.